Federation Council and State Duma support Crimea's decision to join Russia

Russia's Federation Council will support Crimea's decision to join Russia, if the people of the Crimea vote for this in a referendum, speaker of the upper house of the Russian parliament, Valentina Matvienko, said on March 7th at a meeting with a delegation of the Supreme Council of the Crimea, Vesti reports.

"The right of nations to self-determination has not been canceled," - she said. Matvienko emphasized that this is an international practice, referring to the referendum in Scotland.

She also expressed her belief that would never be war between Russia and Ukraine. "It is complete nonsense that they say that the people of Ukraine will go to war with Russia. There will never be any war between our nations," said Matvienko.

Earlier, representatives of the Supreme Council of Crimea held a meeting with members of the lower house of the Russian parliament. The State Duma promised to promptly take all necessary decisions to provide citizens of the Crimea with all rights of Russian citizens, if citizens of the republic vote to become a part of the Russian Federation in a referendum.

"To support the Crimea is a priority for State Duma deputies," said House Speaker Sergei Naryshkin. "Russia will support the "free and democratic choice of the people of the Crimea," he said.

"The Crimea is historically, culturally and spiritually has been and remains an inseparable part of our great Russian civilization," vice-speaker of the State Duma, deputy secretary of the General Council of United Russia, Sergei Zheleznjak said. "I can already say that the vast majority of Russian citizens are enthusiastic and proud to accept the decisions that the Supreme Council of the Crimea takes," said the parliamentarian.

On March 6, the Supreme Council of the Crimea decided to join Russia as a subject of the Russian Federation. This question will be put to a referendum on the status of the Crimea. The vote will be held on March 16. The same day, residents of the city of Sevastopol will hold a referendum about a possible move for the city to join the Russian Federation.